Jefferson City Unveils Lafayette Street Improvements

JEFFERSON CITY - City officials and contractors gathered Tuesday to official open the Lafayette Street expansion project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Mayor John Landwehr spoke at the event. This is phase one of the Lafayette Street project, which is part of the rehabilitation of the old state penitentiary neighborhood.

The improvements include new sidewalks, street lights, and an expansion of the street toward the Missouri River. Part of the this project was also a new stoplight at the intersection of Capitol Avenue and Lafayette Street. The street is right between the new federal courthouse and the old Missouri State Penitentiary. Cole County Commissioner Marc Ellinger said that the most important part of this project is the fact that the city and county worked together.

"I think the most exciting thing about this project is it's a cooperative project. It shows our community all coming together, working together, city and county, to open up not only this site and this project, but the east end development and more cooperative projects," Ellinger said.

This project was funded in equal parts by Cole County and the city, and both worked on the project. The capital improvements sales tax approved by voters in 2006 helped this project.

This road is the first part of what many hope to be future restorations in the area. The city and county expect Phase II to begin in 2011.